What are Underbite, Overbite, and Crossbite

Stressed out neck muscles are a common problem among the youth due to long hours of work and play. The jawline that everyone talks of can get affected by the stress in the neck. Bruxism or teeth grinding comes along and wears down the structure of your teeth further. When the teeth undergo overexerted pressure, they begin to take a different shape to slowly adapt to your stress and stay on your jaws for longer.

Adaptation or moving of teeth may also start from a very young age. A kid’s body is technically hard wax that adapts according to the pressure or heat exerted on it. Feeding habits, pacifiers, or the habit of thumb sucking affect the initial shape of the teeth and they get malformed due to these. Such malformations of the teeth are called malocclusions. But your smile can be fixed by your nearest dentist in North Edmonton even if you have these teeth alignment issues. Malocclusions are of three kinds – underbite, overbite, and crossbite.

Underbite

An underbite or prognathism in technical dentistry occurs when the lower jaw deforms and gets pushed forward. The teeth on the lower jaw then overlap the teeth on the upper jaw and create a misshapen bite that makes you look displeasing. Underbites are counted as class III malocclusions and are quite rare. An underbite creates other problems than just your affecting your facial appearance. Severe cases of underbites can cause problems in breathing, speech impediments, and pain due to the irregular shape of the teeth. Mild cases can be taken under control by visiting a dentist in North Edmonton for braces or retainers. But severe cases may need a moderate surgery and restructuring.

Overbite

Overbites are the most common class I malocclusion. Almost every one of us has some part of our upper teeth overlapping our lower teeth. When pressurized due to teeth grinding or a habit of thumb sucking, for example, the issue escalate to class II malocclusion and become retrognathism. Overbites can be caused by the everyday working of the teeth and may come along without you knowing about it. Use of pacifiers in kids beyond the age of three years or constant bottle feeding after the age where solid food is feasible, leads to overbites and become tougher to treat as the body ages. In teenage or adulthood the slight overlapping of the teeth may increase due to stress-related reasons like tooth grinding. Such malformations of the upper jaw cause problems like

Tooth decay and gum diseases due to worn out tooth enamel

Aching of the jaw

Trouble in chewing or eating

Severe headaches

Sleep apnea

Speech Impediments

Crossbite

You have a symmetrical arch of teeth and when one side of the teeth gets malformed and start to bend inside the opposite arch, it is called a crossbite. A crossbite may make your teeth protrude from one side of the mouth and damage the teeth that are adjacent to the teeth being overlapped. Crossbites are randomly genetic or accidental. In some cases, the patient is born with a deformed maxillar or upper jaw-bone on one side. The mandible, which is the lower jaw-bone, may get affected by trauma through accidents and grow upon the upper tooth arch causing a crossbite. Milder cases of a crossbite can be reversed with the use of retainers but the more convoluted structures require surgery at the dentist in North Edmonton.

Malocclusions are a thoroughly studied dental issue and treatments range from devices to permanent redesigning through surgery. Visit the dentist in North Edmonton to know what is required for your dental issues.

We are a family dental clinic that takes pride in our gentle, considerate approach to dentistry. We understand that turning the dental visit into as comfortable and friendly an experience as possible is key – not just to our success, but to promoting good oral health in our community.